July 11, 1767 Braintree, Massachusetts- February 23, 1848 Washington D.C.
Political Party: “Era of Good Feelings” Republican
Terms: One term, 1825-1828
Vice President: John C. Calhoun
Thematic Context
A major cultural change during John Quincy Adams’ presidency was the completion of the Erie Canal. This canal connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and was built by the state of New York after they were denied federal funding for the project. Many citizens, often farmers and immigrants, took part in digging the canal making around eighty cents to a dollar a day. The huge canal was 363 miles long, 40 feet wide, 4 feet deep, and cost around seven million dollars to build. It may have seemed a poor decision before, with citizens calling it “Clinton’s ditch,” but it reduced the price of shipping which helped the economy in the long run. The Erie Canal was one of the most important advancements in American transportation in its time period and allowed people to save time and money when transporting goods or traveling.
Advancements in American literature were also important during Adams’ presidency. In 1826, James Fenimore Cooper published his historical novel The Last of the Mohicans. Cooper was one of the first important American writers, and helped America advance in the art of literature as well as improving American education. Noah Webster’s first American dictionary, published in 1828, also helped to advance American literature and education. All of these new movements and literary works helped to Americanize education within the country. American students were finally learning from books written by other Americans. This was a major change in the nation’s culture during Adams’ presidential term.
Thesis
John Quincy Adams, taking after his famous father, was an important political figure in America, but he really only found success in events outside of his presidency. To start with, Andrew Jackson was the people’s favorite for president in the 1824 election, but because none of the candidates received the majority vote, the decision was moved to the House of Representatives. In a deal known as the “corrupt bargain,” Henry Clay made sure John Quincy Adams won the presidency and Adams gave Clay the role as secretary of state. The American citizens already disliked Adams because of this deal, but they learned to like him even less when they saw just how much he failed to represent the American people. Adams did not represent the goals of the people, and had little to no political support. John Quincy Adams did almost nothing of importance during his presidency, however, some of this was caused by his political enemies keeping him from accomplishing all of his goals. John Quincy Adams should get a D for his presidency because he did not do very much, he failed to represent the wants and needs of the American population, and he lacked the qualities of good leadership.
Goals
In a strange turn of political deals and events, John Quincy Adams was still elected as president even though he did not receive the majority vote. Consequently, Adams’ goals were not the goals of the country and were not very popular. John Quincy Adams retained many nationalist ideas whereas the citizens were growing more interested in states’ rights. Adams wanted internal improvements and development in arts and sciences. He supported the creation of roads and canals, the establishment of a national university, and building an astronomical observatory. His fellow Americans thought all of these things would be wasting money. John Quincy Adams was not very good at accomplishing any of his goals, and he only managed to make a few minor improvements to the country.
Relationship with Congress
Throughout Adam’s presidency, Andrew Jackson’s supporters had the majority in Congress, which gave John Quincy Adams a very weak relationship with Congress. The members of Congress often disagreed with Adams’ ideas and goals, which kept Adams from achieving most of what he wanted to during his presidency, such as his fairly extreme plans for internal improvement. They refused Adams’ plans for a national university and an observatory. With so many of Adams’ opponents holding places in Congress John Quincy Adams was not able to do as much with his presidency as he might have wanted, though he never really had any major plans to begin with. Adams had far more enemies than supporters in Congress, which took away much of his political power during his presidency.
Outcomes
One of John Quincy Adams’ actions that had a positive outcome came from his focus on internal improvement. He was the first president to completely support the federal funding of such improvements. Adams initially wanted to construct many roads and canals, a national university, and an astronomical observatory, but Congress kept almost all of this from becoming reality. All Adams managed to do in the end was extend the Cumberland Road into Ohio and create the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Though Adams wanted to slow western speculation, the Cumberland Road enabled many settlers to move westward and helped to connect the western and eastern parts of the United States. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal provided a vital connection for trade between the north and the south. John Quincy Adams was even present at the canal’s “groundbreaking ceremony.” Even though he did not do very much, President John Quincy Adams made improvements to American transportation. He felt that such improvements were important to the country and that they were a responsibility of the national government. Though similar roads and canals were being built at state levels and Adams was not able to achieve as much as he wanted to with internal improvements, the federally funded road and canal were very positive changes to the country from President John Quincy Adams, and were beneficial to all parts of the United States.
The most negative decision of James Quincy Adams’ administration was the Tariff of 1828. The tariff, often called the “Tariff of Abominations,” caused much conflict in the country for years to come. The tariff was beneficial for the northern states that focused on manufacturing, so they favored the tariff. At the time, European countries were selling their products at very low prices in the United States, so this tariff protected American industry by raising the prices on foreign imports so it was easier to sell domestic products. Southern states were not very reliant on manufacturing. Their economy was dominated by agriculture, but they relied far more heavily on foreign imports. When the Tariff of 1828 was passed, the south was reasonably upset. Not only did the tariff hurt these states, but slave states also feared that the power the federal government used to pass and enforce this tariff would soon be used to eliminate slavery, which would also harm their economy. The Tariff of 1828 heightened conflicts with sectionalism, which had been and continued to be a major conflict in America, and was the action in Adams’ presidency that had the most negative effects.
Future Influence
Though John Quincy was not entirely responsible for the Tariff of 1828, it was very influential and had many negative impacts on America, as described earlier. Most likely, the tariff was proposed by Adams’ administration to make John Quincy Adams look bad with no real plan on it being passed, but because of the benefits it could provide to some states, it became a reality. As was mentioned earlier, this tariff caused even more problems with sectionalism in the United States, leading to more of the conflicts between the north and the south leading up to the Civil War. The Tariff also caused the Nullification Crisis of 1832. In this crisis, the state of South Carolina tried to nullify the hated “Tariff of Abominations,” claiming that it was unconstitutional and abuse of federal power. The Tariff of 1828 was a huge factor in future sectional conflict and tension for future administrations, creating major conflicts with no solution in sight.
Conclusion
Though John Quincy Adams was an important and influential figure in American politics, he did very little as president. Most people in America disliked him for his personality, possible corruption, and his political ideas. Because he was so unpopular, he was mostly unable to accomplish anything as president. The country was certainly not better at the end of Adams’ presidency than it was at the beginning. Adams did not do very much as president, and what he did do was fairly insignificant. The only really important action under his administration was the passing of the Tariff of 1828, but John Quincy Adams was not all that involved with the tariff and it had incredibly negative consequences for the nation. Partially because of his many enemies in politics but mostly through his own faults and flaws, John Quincy Adams had little effect on the country and was an incredibly unsuccessful president.
Bibliography
Bailey, Thomas A., David M. Kennedy, and Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Print.
July 11, 1767 Braintree, Massachusetts- February 23, 1848 Washington D.C.
Political Party: “Era of Good Feelings” Republican
Terms: One term, 1825-1828
Vice President: John C. Calhoun
Thematic Context
A major cultural change during John Quincy Adams’ presidency was the completion of the Erie Canal. This canal connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and was built by the state of New York after they were denied federal funding for the project. Many citizens, often farmers and immigrants, took part in digging the canal making around eighty cents to a dollar a day. The huge canal was 363 miles long, 40 feet wide, 4 feet deep, and cost around seven million dollars to build. It may have seemed a poor decision before, with citizens calling it “Clinton’s ditch,” but it reduced the price of shipping which helped the economy in the long run. The Erie Canal was one of the most important advancements in American transportation in its time period and allowed people to save time and money when transporting goods or traveling.
Advancements in American literature were also important during Adams’ presidency. In 1826, James Fenimore Cooper published his historical novel The Last of the Mohicans. Cooper was one of the first important American writers, and helped America advance in the art of literature as well as improving American education. Noah Webster’s first American dictionary, published in 1828, also helped to advance American literature and education. All of these new movements and literary works helped to Americanize education within the country. American students were finally learning from books written by other Americans. This was a major change in the nation’s culture during Adams’ presidential term.
Thesis
John Quincy Adams, taking after his famous father, was an important political figure in America, but he really only found success in events outside of his presidency. To start with, Andrew Jackson was the people’s favorite for president in the 1824 election, but because none of the candidates received the majority vote, the decision was moved to the House of Representatives. In a deal known as the “corrupt bargain,” Henry Clay made sure John Quincy Adams won the presidency and Adams gave Clay the role as secretary of state. The American citizens already disliked Adams because of this deal, but they learned to like him even less when they saw just how much he failed to represent the American people. Adams did not represent the goals of the people, and had little to no political support. John Quincy Adams did almost nothing of importance during his presidency, however, some of this was caused by his political enemies keeping him from accomplishing all of his goals. John Quincy Adams should get a D for his presidency because he did not do very much, he failed to represent the wants and needs of the American population, and he lacked the qualities of good leadership.
Goals
In a strange turn of political deals and events, John Quincy Adams was still elected as president even though he did not receive the majority vote. Consequently, Adams’ goals were not the goals of the country and were not very popular. John Quincy Adams retained many nationalist ideas whereas the citizens were growing more interested in states’ rights. Adams wanted internal improvements and development in arts and sciences. He supported the creation of roads and canals, the establishment of a national university, and building an astronomical observatory. His fellow Americans thought all of these things would be wasting money. John Quincy Adams was not very good at accomplishing any of his goals, and he only managed to make a few minor improvements to the country.
Relationship with Congress
Throughout Adam’s presidency, Andrew Jackson’s supporters had the majority in Congress, which gave John Quincy Adams a very weak relationship with Congress. The members of Congress often disagreed with Adams’ ideas and goals, which kept Adams from achieving most of what he wanted to during his presidency, such as his fairly extreme plans for internal improvement. They refused Adams’ plans for a national university and an observatory. With so many of Adams’ opponents holding places in Congress John Quincy Adams was not able to do as much with his presidency as he might have wanted, though he never really had any major plans to begin with. Adams had far more enemies than supporters in Congress, which took away much of his political power during his presidency.
Outcomes
One of John Quincy Adams’ actions that had a positive outcome came from his focus on internal improvement. He was the first president to completely support the federal funding of such improvements. Adams initially wanted to construct many roads and canals, a national university, and an astronomical observatory, but Congress kept almost all of this from becoming reality. All Adams managed to do in the end was extend the Cumberland Road into Ohio and create the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Though Adams wanted to slow western speculation, the Cumberland Road enabled many settlers to move westward and helped to connect the western and eastern parts of the United States. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal provided a vital connection for trade between the north and the south. John Quincy Adams was even present at the canal’s “groundbreaking ceremony.” Even though he did not do very much, President John Quincy Adams made improvements to American transportation. He felt that such improvements were important to the country and that they were a responsibility of the national government. Though similar roads and canals were being built at state levels and Adams was not able to achieve as much as he wanted to with internal improvements, the federally funded road and canal were very positive changes to the country from President John Quincy Adams, and were beneficial to all parts of the United States.
The most negative decision of James Quincy Adams’ administration was the Tariff of 1828. The tariff, often called the “Tariff of Abominations,” caused much conflict in the country for years to come. The tariff was beneficial for the northern states that focused on manufacturing, so they favored the tariff. At the time, European countries were selling their products at very low prices in the United States, so this tariff protected American industry by raising the prices on foreign imports so it was easier to sell domestic products. Southern states were not very reliant on manufacturing. Their economy was dominated by agriculture, but they relied far more heavily on foreign imports. When the Tariff of 1828 was passed, the south was reasonably upset. Not only did the tariff hurt these states, but slave states also feared that the power the federal government used to pass and enforce this tariff would soon be used to eliminate slavery, which would also harm their economy. The Tariff of 1828 heightened conflicts with sectionalism, which had been and continued to be a major conflict in America, and was the action in Adams’ presidency that had the most negative effects.
Future Influence
Though John Quincy was not entirely responsible for the Tariff of 1828, it was very influential and had many negative impacts on America, as described earlier. Most likely, the tariff was proposed by Adams’ administration to make John Quincy Adams look bad with no real plan on it being passed, but because of the benefits it could provide to some states, it became a reality. As was mentioned earlier, this tariff caused even more problems with sectionalism in the United States, leading to more of the conflicts between the north and the south leading up to the Civil War. The Tariff also caused the Nullification Crisis of 1832. In this crisis, the state of South Carolina tried to nullify the hated “Tariff of Abominations,” claiming that it was unconstitutional and abuse of federal power. The Tariff of 1828 was a huge factor in future sectional conflict and tension for future administrations, creating major conflicts with no solution in sight.
Conclusion
Though John Quincy Adams was an important and influential figure in American politics, he did very little as president. Most people in America disliked him for his personality, possible corruption, and his political ideas. Because he was so unpopular, he was mostly unable to accomplish anything as president. The country was certainly not better at the end of Adams’ presidency than it was at the beginning. Adams did not do very much as president, and what he did do was fairly insignificant. The only really important action under his administration was the passing of the Tariff of 1828, but John Quincy Adams was not all that involved with the tariff and it had incredibly negative consequences for the nation. Partially because of his many enemies in politics but mostly through his own faults and flaws, John Quincy Adams had little effect on the country and was an incredibly unsuccessful president.
Bibliography
Bailey, Thomas A., David M. Kennedy, and Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Print.
"Chesapeake and Ohio Canal." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Sept. 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake_and_Ohio_Canal>.
DeGregorio, William A. The complete book of U.S. presidents. 6th ed. New York: Gramercy Books, 2005. Print.
"Erie Canal." About.com Geography. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/eriecanal.htm>.
"John Quincy Adams." The White House. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnquincyadams>.
"The Last of the Mohicans." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 July 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_the_Mohicans>.
"National Road." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 July 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Road>.
"Noah Webster." Noah Webster. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/noah-webster.html>.
"Nullification Crisis." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Sept. 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nullification_Crisis>.
"Party Division." U.S. Senate. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/partydiv.htm>.
"Party Divisions." Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Art & History. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://artandhistory.house.gov/house_history/partyDiv.aspx>.